Emily Bregel
@emilybregel.bsky.social
Border/immigration reporter
Arizona Daily Star
ebregel@tucson.com
On Signal: emdashbregs.28
Arizona Daily Star
ebregel@tucson.com
On Signal: emdashbregs.28
Pinned
Emily Bregel
@emilybregel.bsky.social
· Nov 12
I'm Emily Bregel, border/immigration reporter for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson 👋 I welcome tips, story ideas, complaints and/or greetings! Send to ebregel(at)tucson(dot)com
Reposted by Emily Bregel
Cheers to the person who leaked the initial changes www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
In reversal, Coast Guard again classifies swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The new order came hours after The Post reported the service would instead classify such symbols as “potentially divisive” under guidelines set for release next month.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Cheers to the person who leaked the initial changes www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
Absolutely incredible; after shooting Marimar Martinez 5 times and arresting her on claims that she rammed them and pulled a gun, prosecutors have now moved to dismiss ALL criminal charges against her and her codefendant.
New: the govt has moved to dismiss its assault case against Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, two people accused of "box[ing] in" a Border Patrol vehicle in Chicago on Oct. 4.
One agent shot Martinez, with evidence presented to the court that he later bragged about in text messages.
One agent shot Martinez, with evidence presented to the court that he later bragged about in text messages.
November 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Absolutely incredible; after shooting Marimar Martinez 5 times and arresting her on claims that she rammed them and pulled a gun, prosecutors have now moved to dismiss ALL criminal charges against her and her codefendant.
Reposted by Emily Bregel
The President of the United States just called for my arrest and execution.
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
November 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The President of the United States just called for my arrest and execution.
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
Reposted by Emily Bregel
🚨: UA to allegedly lose approximately $4 million after 834 Chinese students quit their degrees at one of the micro-campuses in China, according to the executive vice dean of the Arizona College of Technology at the Hebei University of Technology.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
U of A to lose millions in tuition after closing China micro-campuses
For Star subscribers: The University of Arizona could lose more than $4 million in tuition revenue from closing micro-campuses in China, an official says.
tucson.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:38 PM
🚨: UA to allegedly lose approximately $4 million after 834 Chinese students quit their degrees at one of the micro-campuses in China, according to the executive vice dean of the Arizona College of Technology at the Hebei University of Technology.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
The University of Arizona's sudden decision to close its microcampuses in China is costing them millions of dollars in tuition and harming its students, who have left in droves and want their money back. @preranawrites.bsky.social reports.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
U of A to lose millions in tuition after closing China micro-campuses
For Star subscribers: The University of Arizona could lose more than $4 million in tuition revenue from closing micro-campuses in China, an official says.
tucson.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The University of Arizona's sudden decision to close its microcampuses in China is costing them millions of dollars in tuition and harming its students, who have left in droves and want their money back. @preranawrites.bsky.social reports.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
The death toll now stands at 83. The U.S. government has extrajudicially killed 83 people.
www.wola.org/2025/11/mari...
www.wola.org/2025/11/mari...
November 17, 2025 at 1:33 AM
The death toll now stands at 83. The U.S. government has extrajudicially killed 83 people.
www.wola.org/2025/11/mari...
www.wola.org/2025/11/mari...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
"ProPublica’s reporting debunks the idea of a ’Tren de Aragua complex' taken over by a horde of terrorists. We found no criminal convictions for 18 of the 21 Venezuelans we identified. Three of the men had been charged with offenses ... but in each case the charges were dropped."
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
"ProPublica’s reporting debunks the idea of a ’Tren de Aragua complex' taken over by a horde of terrorists. We found no criminal convictions for 18 of the 21 Venezuelans we identified. Three of the men had been charged with offenses ... but in each case the charges were dropped."
Reposted by Emily Bregel
He got a doctorate in physical therapy and worked in Tucson as a PT for 23 years. But he had sold $140 worth of LSD when he was 18, so he became ICE bait. Now he's been deported to Laos, the country he left at age 6. @emilybregel.bsky.social reports.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
Tucson physical therapist deported to Laos after multiple, 'chaotic' flights
For Star subscribers: A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos after spending three months at the Eloy Detention Center.
tucson.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:51 PM
He got a doctorate in physical therapy and worked in Tucson as a PT for 23 years. But he had sold $140 worth of LSD when he was 18, so he became ICE bait. Now he's been deported to Laos, the country he left at age 6. @emilybregel.bsky.social reports.
tucson.com/news/local/s...
tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
Undocumented immigrants in Tucson say they’ve been balancing fear with continuing to live their lives. “If I’m gonna lead this life afraid, it’s not living,” said Anabel, 36. “I have to live. I have to work. ... I can’t stop my life and my kids’ life.” @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Tucson's undocumented families balance fear with continuing to live life
For Star subscribers: In Tucson, Trump's mass-deportation campaign hasn't reached the scale of those in larger cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, but increased immigration-enforcement here ...
tucson.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Undocumented immigrants in Tucson say they’ve been balancing fear with continuing to live their lives. “If I’m gonna lead this life afraid, it’s not living,” said Anabel, 36. “I have to live. I have to work. ... I can’t stop my life and my kids’ life.” @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
A good man.
"Vone, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, has worked in the field for more than 20 yrs. He's known by friends and clients as a devoted, talented caregiver ... That was even the case at Eloy, where he said he helped treat fellow detainees who were struggling with mobility."
"Vone, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, has worked in the field for more than 20 yrs. He's known by friends and clients as a devoted, talented caregiver ... That was even the case at Eloy, where he said he helped treat fellow detainees who were struggling with mobility."
A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos, the country he fled with family at age 6 in the 1970s. Vone Phrommany, 53, said he's arrived at a distant relative's home following five days of exhausting travel, while shackled at the wrists and ankles. tucson.com/news/local/s...
Tucson physical therapist deported to Laos after multiple, 'chaotic' flights
For Star subscribers: A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos after spending three months at the Eloy Detention Center.
tucson.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
A good man.
"Vone, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, has worked in the field for more than 20 yrs. He's known by friends and clients as a devoted, talented caregiver ... That was even the case at Eloy, where he said he helped treat fellow detainees who were struggling with mobility."
"Vone, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, has worked in the field for more than 20 yrs. He's known by friends and clients as a devoted, talented caregiver ... That was even the case at Eloy, where he said he helped treat fellow detainees who were struggling with mobility."
Reposted by Emily Bregel
In interviews in villages on Venezuela's northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists. n.pr/484kIIb
Trump says boat crews are narco-terrorists. The truth is more nuanced, AP finds
In interviews in villages on Venezuela's northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists.
n.pr
November 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
In interviews in villages on Venezuela's northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists. n.pr/484kIIb
Reposted by Emily Bregel
For Star subscribers: The death of three UA students in a crosswalk was a shocking example of what's been going on for years. About 100 people have died in traffic
Tim Steller's column: Time for drastic action on Tucson's traffic safety
For Star subscribers: The death of three UA students in a crosswalk was a shocking example of what's been going on for years. About 100 people have died in traffic
tucson.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:17 PM
For Star subscribers: The death of three UA students in a crosswalk was a shocking example of what's been going on for years. About 100 people have died in traffic
Undocumented immigrants in Tucson say they’ve been balancing fear with continuing to live their lives. “If I’m gonna lead this life afraid, it’s not living,” said Anabel, 36. “I have to live. I have to work. ... I can’t stop my life and my kids’ life.” @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Tucson's undocumented families balance fear with continuing to live life
For Star subscribers: In Tucson, Trump's mass-deportation campaign hasn't reached the scale of those in larger cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, but increased immigration-enforcement here ...
tucson.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Undocumented immigrants in Tucson say they’ve been balancing fear with continuing to live their lives. “If I’m gonna lead this life afraid, it’s not living,” said Anabel, 36. “I have to live. I have to work. ... I can’t stop my life and my kids’ life.” @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos, the country he fled with family at age 6 in the 1970s. Vone Phrommany, 53, said he's arrived at a distant relative's home following five days of exhausting travel, while shackled at the wrists and ankles. tucson.com/news/local/s...
Tucson physical therapist deported to Laos after multiple, 'chaotic' flights
For Star subscribers: A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos after spending three months at the Eloy Detention Center.
tucson.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
A longtime Tucson physical therapist has been deported to Laos, the country he fled with family at age 6 in the 1970s. Vone Phrommany, 53, said he's arrived at a distant relative's home following five days of exhausting travel, while shackled at the wrists and ankles. tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
The Trump administration alleges the boats targeted by recent U.S. strikes were being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members. The AP identified four of the men who were on the boats—and found the truth is far more nuanced.
Trump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuanced
One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet.
bit.ly
November 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The Trump administration alleges the boats targeted by recent U.S. strikes were being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members. The AP identified four of the men who were on the boats—and found the truth is far more nuanced.
Reposted by Emily Bregel
NEW: Even the FBI thinks unidentified masked ICE agents is a bad idea. @dell.bsky.social and @carolinehaskins.bsky.social with the scoop. No paywall bc FOIA: www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves
In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE’s image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes.
www.wired.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:31 PM
NEW: Even the FBI thinks unidentified masked ICE agents is a bad idea. @dell.bsky.social and @carolinehaskins.bsky.social with the scoop. No paywall bc FOIA: www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
NEWS: Federal agents crashed with woman’s car, pointed guns at her, dragged her out by legs, tossed her in a minivan, held her and (eventually) let her go without charges. This as Chicagoans say the immigration blitz is out of control. (DHS blames her.)
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/03/c...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/03/c...
Chicago woman dragged out of her car after colliding with ICE demands accountability
The arrest of Dayanne Figueroa highlights growing concerns about the use of force against U.S. citizens and due process. She was released after a few hours without charges.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM
NEWS: Federal agents crashed with woman’s car, pointed guns at her, dragged her out by legs, tossed her in a minivan, held her and (eventually) let her go without charges. This as Chicagoans say the immigration blitz is out of control. (DHS blames her.)
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/03/c...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/03/c...
Yesterday I went on @kjzz.org to discuss my story on a Syrian man detained for 2+ years at Eloy, despite being granted "withholding of removal" to Syria in '24. In Sept. DHS tried to deport him to Venezuela but officials in the airport there wouldn't accept him. Listen: www.kjzz.org/the-show/202...
Syrian man being held in an Arizona detention center could be sent to a third country
Kamel Maklad fled the civil war in Syria and went to Venezuela. When he had to leave there, he crossed the border from Mexico into Arizona in 2023. He's been held in detention ever since.
www.kjzz.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Yesterday I went on @kjzz.org to discuss my story on a Syrian man detained for 2+ years at Eloy, despite being granted "withholding of removal" to Syria in '24. In Sept. DHS tried to deport him to Venezuela but officials in the airport there wouldn't accept him. Listen: www.kjzz.org/the-show/202...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
A Syrian man has been detained at Eloy for more than 2 years. Last month the U.S. tried to deport him to Venezuela; he spent about 30 minutes in a Venezuelan airport before officials there turned him back, saying they'd never agreed to accept him. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Syrian man held by ICE in Arizona for 2 years now faces third-country removal
For Star subscribers: Kamel Maklad has been held in immigration detention in Arizona for more than two years. Last month the Trump administration tried to deport him to Venezuela.
tucson.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
A Syrian man has been detained at Eloy for more than 2 years. Last month the U.S. tried to deport him to Venezuela; he spent about 30 minutes in a Venezuelan airport before officials there turned him back, saying they'd never agreed to accept him. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
A Syrian man has been detained at Eloy for more than 2 years. Last month the U.S. tried to deport him to Venezuela; he spent about 30 minutes in a Venezuelan airport before officials there turned him back, saying they'd never agreed to accept him. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Syrian man held by ICE in Arizona for 2 years now faces third-country removal
For Star subscribers: Kamel Maklad has been held in immigration detention in Arizona for more than two years. Last month the Trump administration tried to deport him to Venezuela.
tucson.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
A Syrian man has been detained at Eloy for more than 2 years. Last month the U.S. tried to deport him to Venezuela; he spent about 30 minutes in a Venezuelan airport before officials there turned him back, saying they'd never agreed to accept him. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
Reposted by Emily Bregel
Reposted by Emily Bregel
Phenomenal investigative reporting from @emilybregel.bsky.social in the Arizona Daily Star:
'Hell on earth': DHS mass-detention net ensnares more non-criminals
Seventy-one percent of those held in ICE detention have no criminal convictions. Trump's mass-detention net is ensnaring long-time residents with deep community ties, as well as those with valid work
eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Phenomenal investigative reporting from @emilybregel.bsky.social in the Arizona Daily Star:
Despite having no criminal record and a valid work permit, Cielo was arrested during a February immigration operation at his home and spent seven months in detention. He's one of the thousands of non-criminals swept up in Trump's expanding mass-detention net. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
'Hell on earth': DHS mass-detention net ensnares more non-criminals
Seventy-one percent of those held in ICE detention have no criminal convictions. Trump's mass-detention net is ensnaring long-time residents with deep community ties, as well as those with valid work
tucson.com
October 12, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Despite having no criminal record and a valid work permit, Cielo was arrested during a February immigration operation at his home and spent seven months in detention. He's one of the thousands of non-criminals swept up in Trump's expanding mass-detention net. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/s...
The Tucson Baseball Team’s official debut in its new home has been delayed indefinitely because of visa-related issues. The team, which relocated from Navajoa, Sonora ... was scheduled to play its first home series Oct. 16-19 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium. @tucson.com
Tucson Baseball Team cancels 1st home series due to visa-related issues
The Tucson Baseball Team announced that its first home series, slated for Oct. 16-19 at Kino Stadium, has been canceled as it works through visa issues with the U.S. government.
tucson.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:35 AM
The Tucson Baseball Team’s official debut in its new home has been delayed indefinitely because of visa-related issues. The team, which relocated from Navajoa, Sonora ... was scheduled to play its first home series Oct. 16-19 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium. @tucson.com